Posts By: Gary Rosenzweig

It can be useful to remove unneeded contacts from your database every once in a while. Before deleting, you can export individual contacts as small VCF files. These can then be stored and accessed easily later if you need them. You also have a variety of other methods for exporting and archiving your contacts.

Many web sites feature multiple language options. If a site is not in the language you speak, try looking for a way to switch to another language inside the site. For sites that do not offer a translation in your language, you can use either Google or Bing to translate bits of text or entire web pages. You can simply copy and paste text or a URL in Safari, or use Chrome's special feature to do this quickly. The translation isn't always perfect, but it works well when no other option is available.

If you get a spam message through iMessage (not text/SMS) there are two things you’ll want to do. The first is to block the sender. On your iOS device, view the message and then tap the Contact button at the top of the screen next to the sender’s name. Then tap the “i” button and scroll down to select “Block this Caller.” Next, take a screen shot of the message and send it to imessage.spam@icloud.com. Also include the email address the spammer used and the time your received the message.
This is more difficult to do if you don’t have an iOS device and want to block a sender using only a Mac and Mavericks. You’ll need to add a contact for the sender, then choose that contact in the Messages app, Preferences, Accounts, Blocked. You can create one “Blocked Senders” contact and add multiple numbers to it to keep your Contacts database tidy.

Learn the basic of using signatures in Apple Mail on your Mac. You can create multiple signatures and assign them to different email accounts. You can set a default signature for each account and also choose between signatures when you are composing an email message. You can also have a random signature appear each time. Best to keep signatures simple for greater compatibility. You can also customize a signature while composing an email.

Learn about Safari's private browsing mode. It will prevent pages you visit from being recorded in your search history, and erase cookies when you are done. But it will not hide your activity from your employer or ISP. It can be useful in some situations.

Ever wonder which Mac app is draining your battery? You can click on the battery icon in the menu bar of MacBooks to see a list of any apps using significant power. It will also show you estimated battery time remaining, or time until it is fully charged if you have it plugged in. Hold down the Option key and click and you will see your battery’s condition status.

The menu bar is the most basic part of any app's user interface. But new Mac users may not look for commands there. More advanced users can use the Help menu to find menu items, and keyboard commands to navigate the menus without using the mouse or trackpad.

You can add subtitle tracks to your videos by using third-party software. This is different than imprinting a bottom-third title on to your video. Subtitle tracks can be turned on and off in QuickTime Player, iOS, Apple TV and elsewhere. You can also add more than one language. All you need to do is to create a simple text file with the subtitle information and then use the software to import it and add it to your video.

When you install new apps, they often add items that you see when you Control+click items. If you want to shorten this list, go to System Preferences, Keyboard, Shortcuts and then select Services on the left. Uncheck any items you no longer wish to see in these context menus.

You can create both bullet lists and numbered lists in Pages. Bullets can be many different characters or even images. Numbered lists can use a variety of numbering systems. You can mix and match list types and even create your own styles.

Before traveling it is worth thinking about adding some apps to your iPhone or iPad. You can download maps apps, language apps, apps with reviews and suggestions and also travel books. While in Tokyo, Gary gives some suggestions of the types of apps to look for and add to your devices before leaving home.

You can get to the PDF file for the user manual specific to your Mac by going to About This Mac in the Apple Menu. Click on the More Info button. Look for Support at the top of the window and click it. Then click User Manual. This will take you to the online PDF file. The manual is the same as it was when you first bought your Mac, so don’t expect to find updated information about the latest version of OS X.

When you reply to a message in Mail, you can quote the original message to make your reply clearer. You can quote the entire message, but it usually make more sense to only quote a portion of it. You can also edit the quotes and place your reply between portions of quoted text. Learning how to use quoting properly can help you send more concise, clear and professional email replies.

Full screen mode allows you to concentrate on a single document or window and maximize your screen space. You can easily enter and leave full screen mode, and also switch between apps in full screen mode and others on your desktop. Apps can even have some windows in full screen mode and others in regular desktop windows.

The latest version of Numbers restores our ability to use AppleScript to automate some actions in your spreadsheets. You can use AppleScript to create new commands in Numbers and do things that could be difficult or impossible to do otherwise. Take a look at some simple examples that populate cells with random numbers and modify the values of checkboxes.

The Enhanced Dictation feature in OS X allows you to dictate text anywhere you find a text cursor, like TextEdit, Pages or Mail. It is an offline version of OS X dictation that allows you to mix typing and speaking for a better experience. It uses context to figure out which words make the most sense in a given situation. You also have a variety of special commands.

When switching apps using the Dock, hold down the Option key. The app you were using will become hidden and the new app will move to the front. The allows you to see only one app at a time if you wish.

We’ll be taking a two-week break from posting new tutorials while everyone enjoys their summer vacation time. Feel free to browse the more than 1000 MacMost video tutorials by clicking on videos, or using the search box at the top of the site. We will return with new tutorials on July 14th, 2014. The next newsletter will be sent on July 17th.

The Title at the very top of the Safari window will allow you to go up the directory structure of the web site you are currently viewing. Command+click on the title and you’ll see the current URL followed by one URL for every level. For instance, if you are at example.com/this/that/ you will also see example.com/this and example.com.

In addition to being able to create interesting transitions between slides and other elements, you can also alter the way table cells and pieces of charts appear in Keynote. You can set each piece to appear one-by-one using a variety of animations. You can also group them together to emphasize one or more pieces of information.